Saint John Bosco 46" - 1853

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Saint John Bosco was born in a Piedmontese village in 1815. His father passed away when Saint John was only 2 years old, and he was brought up by his saintly Tertiary mother, Margaret, who due to her example and influence, led Saint John to also join the Third Order of Saint Francis. At a young age, Saint John would teach catechism to the boys of his village and bring them to church. At 16 he entered the seminary at Chieri, but was so poor at the time, that he was donated a hat, cloak, cassock and a pair of shoes. Not long after his ordination in 1841, he established what he called a Festive Oratory, a Sunday school and recreation centre for boys in the city of Turin. Two more Oratories were then followed in the same city and in 1856, following the death of his mother, the Oratories housed 150 boys. Miracles, mostly of healing, were attributed to Saint John. The saint also had the gift of prophesy and the ability to discern hypocrites. In 1854, Saint John Bosco founded the religious order of Salesians (in honour of Saint Francis de Sales), with its members devoting themselves to the education of poor boys. This new order grew rapidly, and Saint John lived to see 38 houses established in the Old World and 26 in the New World. Today, it is one of the largest orders of men in the Church. 

Feast day: 31st January